Test Team of Last Two Decades

[Ikki]

Matthew Hayden
Virender Sehwag
Ricky Ponting (C)
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Jacques Kallis
Adam Gilchrist +
Wasim Akram
Shane Warne
Allan Donald
Glenn McGrath

 

[zaremba]

Based on performances in the 90s, Gooch must be in with a shout. He averaged 51.55 in 45 Tests including Headingley 1991 (matchwinning 154* on a bad track against a bowling attack assembled by Satan).

 

[Migara]

Based on performances in the 90s, Gooch must be in with a shout. He averaged 51.55 in 45 Tests including Headingley 1991 (matchwinning 154* on a bad track against a bowling attack assembled by Satan).

Who'd you take out of Mark Taylor and Gooch?

 

[Dissector]

For the 70's/80's team I agree a spinner is unnecessary. I would back Imran, Hadlee, Marshall and Garner to do the job on any surface against any batting lineup. However as a backup I would want a batting all-rounder probably Tony Greig. Sticking to players who played a large number of tests in the period:

Gavaskar
Boycott
Richards
Chappell
Border
Greig
Imran (captain)
Knott
Hadlee
Marshall
Garner

 

[stephen]

Hayden
Sehwag
Ponting (c)
Tendulkar
Lara
Kallis
Gilchrist+
Warne
Ambrose
McGrath
Murali
---
Wasim

I tend to believe that when you have the three top run scorers of all time in your team you don't really need a long batting lineup. I prefer going with the better bowling attack, which contains both Warne and Murali. Wasim Akram could be substituted for either Warne or Murali on a greentop.

This team has the right balance of aggression in both batting and bowling and the most stable middle order (n)ever assembled.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Hayden
Sehwag
Ponting (c)
Tendulkar
Lara
Kallis
Gilchrist+
Warne
Ambrose
McGrath
Murali
---
Wasim

I tend to believe that when you have the three top run scorers of all time in your team you don't really need a long batting lineup. I prefer going with the better bowling attack, which contains both Warne and Murali. Wasim Akram could be substituted for either Warne or Murali on a greentop.

This team has the right balance of aggression in both batting and bowling and the most stable middle order (n)ever assembled.

These 12 players seem to be the most common picks so far. For all the bickering we have on CW, it's remarkable that we can all look back on the last 20 years and settle almost unanimously on the same 12 players.

 

[Avada Kedavra]

1.Smith
2.Sehwag
3.Lara
4.Tendulkar
5.Dravid
6.Kallis
7.Sangakkara
8.Murali
9.Wasim
10.Waqar
11.Ambrose

 

[Dissector]

For the last 20 years:

Hayden
Sehwag
Lara
Tendulkar
Steve Waugh (captain)
Kallis
Gilchrist
Pollock
Wasim
Ambrose
Murali

I would definitely include Pollock as the only genuine all-rounder of the last 20 years. Highly underrated player IMO. Waugh has an amazingly good record against the great 90's attacks.

 

[akilana]

G Smith ahead of both Sehwag and Hayden for me..
has different gears-can bat out a draw or be agressive
does well on bowler-friendly pitches
very good 4th innings record
out of his 20 hundreds, only three didn't produce any results.
away average in excess of 50

 

[zaremba]

Who'd you take out of Mark Taylor and Gooch?

I think Gooch in the 90s was the better batsman: a better record despite having the misfortune of playing against Australia's bowlers instead of filling his boots against England's.

Taylor was miles better as a fielder and captain, though.

Which one you'd take might depend on the make-up of the rest of the team.

 

[Cevno]

My Team in relatively batter friendly conditions-

Hayden
Sehwag
Ponting
Tendulkar
Lara
Gilchrist+
Pollock
Wasim
Warne(C)
Mcgrath
Murali
...................

My team on relatively Bowler Friendly Conditions-

Hayden
Sehwag
Ponting
Tendulkar
Lara
Gilchrist+
Kallis
Wasim
Warne(C)
Ambrose
Mcgrath

..................................................

My team in Spin Bowler friendly conditions

Hayden
Sehwag
Kallis
Tendulkar
Lara
Gilchrist+
Pollock
Wasim
Warne(C)
Kumble
Murali

 

[zaremba]

These 12 players seem to be the most common picks so far. For all the bickering we have on CW, it's remarkable that we can all look back on the last 20 years and settle almost unanimously on the same 12 players.

Indeed. The only real area for debate is with the openers. I wouldn't have Hayden anywhere near my team, for instance.

 

[Pratters]

1.Smith
2.Sehwag
3.Lara
4.Tendulkar
5.Dravid
6.Kallis
7.Sangakkara
8.Murali
9.Wasim
10.Waqar
11.Ambrose

Australians ominously missing.

 

[Pratters]

The batting depth is exactly why you pick the better bowlers though.

I didn't get your point. My team has better batting depth than all other teams with Akram coming in at 10. The bowling line up is really all that bad with Akram, Pollock, Flintoff, Murali and Kallis. The real weakness is lack of 6th bowling option though in which case Ponting would have to go and make way for Ambrose.

 

[Days of Grace]

Yeah, but even among spinners, I would pick at least one among Bedi, Prasanna and Chandra well over Qadir...And no, that's definitely not for my bias as an Indian...

Yeah, sorry, I totally forgot about the Indian spinners

I'd go for Chandra as the most penetrating of them. Plus Garner in the side, making it five premier fast bowlers, would just be overkill.

 

[NUFAN]

I'm going to back my 4 bowlers to do the job and give recognition to Dravid for having a brilliant career.
Kallis is my notable omission. For mine the batting lineup just didn't look right having Kallis coming in before Gilchrist.

1 Matthew Hayden
2 Virender Sehwag
3 Rahul Dravid
4 Brian Lara
5 Sachin Tendulkar
6 Ricky Ponting
7 Adam Gilchrist
8 Wasim Akram
9 Shane Warne
10 Curtly Ambrose
11 Glenn McGrath

 

[Prince EWS]

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Jacques Kallis
6. Brian Lara
7, Adam Gilchrist
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Shane Warne
10. Curtly Ambrose
11. Glenn McGrath

Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram and of course Murali were close. Dravid, Sangakkara and Flintoff perhaps unlucky too but I didn't really consider them heavily.

 

[morgieb]

Hayden
Sehwag
Lara
Tendulkar
Waugh
Kallis
Gilchrist
Warne
Ambrose
Murali
McGrath

 

[Dissector]

BTW one argument that crops up in these discussions is that because the top 6 batsmen are so strong you don't really need all-rounders. However I always assume that my XI will be playing another very strong team with great bowlers and in a range of conditions. If you are facing bowlers like Imran and Hadlee it doesn't matter how good your batsmen are, they will be in trouble sometimes and having a genuine all-rounder like Pollock at 8 could make the difference.

 

[NUFAN]

What do you think Pollock would average with the bat against other world XI attacks?